Moonlight
by Emerald
Summary: He watches her as she sleeps every night and she has no idea. Or does she? What will happen when his secret is revealed? Short fic.


It was dark. The moonlight filtered into the room, cascading shadows across the floor; dancing in the twilight of the night.  
  
The room was warm-- the perfect temperature. It should have been, the master of the house paid well to live in nothing less than the best. Expensively decorated, the room reflected the lavish taste of the home's owner. Pillows imported from foreign countries, painters' originals, costing almost as much as the house, decorated the walls.  
  
Interrupting the silence, the large wooden door opened and shut with an easy purr of the frame. Having just risen from slumber, wearing pajamas and slippers, the person stepped across the highlighted carpet, careful not to make a sound.  
  
She lay in the bed, wrapped in the blanket, huddled in warmth. He watched her sleep for what seemed like hours. He drank in every detail that she could exhume. The way her cheeks here blushed in the way they get when she slept. How her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. The way her hair played across her face, giving her a childlike appearance. He saw that familiar twitching on her eyelids, indicating she was dreaming. Dreaming about what? He had no way of knowing.  
  
He went into her room almost every night now. Feeding an addiction for her that he knew would never end. Hovering over her, just staring at her perfect form, he knew why he did it. He just didn't know what for. Something calmed him watching her. It set time at a halt and for a brief moment he was alive again.  
  
Last night he had done the same thing. Rising from his bed across the hall, it was as if he felt a calling to her. Tracing his path of the night before, he quietly made his way to her room. As he felt the cold knob against his palm, he could feel the familiar reassurance wash over him. It gave him a sense of peace to know that he could make sure she was safe. He wouldn't be able to protect her anymore, he wouldn't be hold her in his arms as she slept, no matter how much he wanted to. This was his only chance to actually 'be' with her. He would stand over her and stare. Staring at her as she slept. Almost as a parent would their child. He longed to touch her. But he didn't dare. He couldn't risk her waking up.  
  
It was the same now. He wanted so much to reach out and touch her. Much more than touch her. But he couldn't. In all the nights he came in here, more than he had lost count of, he resisted his urge to feel her. To hold her in his arms. To touch her soft skin. To feel her body against his…  
  
How long had he been in there? He couldn't tell anymore. Whenever he was in her presence, time didn't matter. It was only her that he cared about. He knew he should probably get back to his room. His wife might start wondering where he had gone.  
  
He savored his next minute in there before he would leave. His hand, as usual found its way up. It so wanted to touch her. But he couldn't!  
  
_I can't!_ He cursed himself.  
  
But he had to.  
  
He slowly reached out and let the pads of his fingers graze along her soft flesh. He swept the few strands of hair that splayed across her cheek, tracing them out of her face. Now he could see her face.  
  
She was more beautiful like this than ever.  
  
The twitching on her eyelids stopped.  
  
She was no longer dreaming.  
  
She stirred slightly and he knew it was time to go. Quickly, he made for the door. He needed to get out of here before she fully awoke. She couldn't catch him in here.  
  
He made it to the door, and his hand caught the knob that would lead him back to his life that he dreaded without her. As he twisted it, he heard something.  
  
"Ethan…"  
  
_Oh no…_ He thought.  
  
He quickly turned, having no choice but to face his actions.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked, softly.  
  
The time had come. He was finally caught.  
  
He couldn't escape.  
  
"I… I, well, I wanted to make sure you were alright…" He lied.  
  
"Alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I thought I heard something. But, I guess… I guess not."  
  
She sat there, not believing him for an instant.  
  
"You could never lie to me." She stated.  
  
He didn't know what to say to that.  
  
"Well, I-- I wanted to make sure the babies were alright…" Again he lied.  
  
"Huh…" She still didn't believe him.  
  
"Well-- um… night." Again he turned to the door.  
  
"Oooh…"  
  
He turned to her at the sound she made.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. Just, the babies are kicking." She said as she put her hand to her belly. "Do you-- do you want to feel?"  
  
I would want nothing more than to be close to you. He thought.  
  
"Yeah, sure…"  
  
As he walked over to the bed, he felt his body heat rise. His heart was pounding in his chest. Only she did this to him. And he was glad she did.  
  
He sat on the bed next to her, feeling the heat from the blankets on his back. She held her fingers in the spot where the babies were kicking and grabbed his hand and put it in the spot where the babies where kicking. Her touch sending electric waves all over his being.  
  
"Feel that?" She asked. "I guess they know who their daddy is."  
  
For the first time all night, they made eye contact. Real eye contact. His eyes locked on hers and she didn't let the gaze go. Instead she gave into it. She smiled at him and he could feel his insides melting.  
  
_Why does she do this to me?_  
  
Without realizing it, they had come extremely close to one another. Their lips were pulling at one another. Somehow, there was another force acting on them and they couldn't help it.  
  
Slowly, their lips found the others' and met each other in a soft, deep, lingering, and passionate kiss. One that they both had been craving. Their lips caressed each others and crashed together with the passion that they couldn't deny they still had for one another.  
  
His hand moved quickly from her belly to her neck, caressing it gently, reassuring him that she was real. This was happening. Their hands roamed and it all felt so right…  
  
And yet so wrong…  
  
He pulled back, his chest heaving in both surprise and dissatisfaction.  
  
"Theresa… we can't…" He said, against his own desires. "I should go."  
  
Again cursing himself, he rose himself from the bed and proceeded to leave the room like originally planned.  
  
"Ethan…" He turned at her voice. "Why do you come in here every night?"  
  
He was stunned. How did she know that he came in here every night?  
  
"I… I do--" He tried.  
  
"You don't have to deny it. I know it's you. Did you really think I wouldn't know?"  
  
He didn't answer. He didn't know how.  
  
"So why do you come in here every night?" She asked again.  
  
He walked back towards her bed and sat down where he was before.  
  
"Theresa… I…"  
  
"Do you still love me, Ethan?" She asked quickly. She knew the answer, but it was time that she heard it from his lips. His lips. The ones she had just kissed. How much she had missed those lips…  
  
Ethan was shocked at her question. Should he answer?  
  
"I… Of course I do, Theresa. You know that. Why else would I come in here every night?"  
  
Without another word, without even a hint of what she was about to do, she launched herself forward upon his lips and let her mouth crash with his.  
  
Again, Ethan pulled away, breathless.  
  
"No, Theresa, we can't do this." He protested.  
  
"No, don't. You know you want this." She said as she sealed it with another kiss from her lips, one that would not be broken. She wouldn't let it.  
  
Ethan couldn't deny it anymore and let his desire cave. His hands made it down to her waist and helped discard the camisole she had on, revealing her beauty to him.  
  
She let his hands claim her body and breathed hard into his ear when he touched her over and over again. Their mouths met again and he groaned as her breasts pressed against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer with her arms.  
  
"Love me." She rasped and then captured his mouth.  
  
Ethan could scarcely believe that Theresa was letting him touch her this way. So many times he had imagined being able to love her like this, but he always held back. He wanted to love her, but not at the risks that it would come at. He had managed to convince himself that Theresa wasn't just any girl. She was his friend and therefore off limits . . . So much for that rationale, he thought dryly. Just then, another soft sigh escaped her and his stomach flipped. She tasted so good . . . so sweet.  
  
He groaned deep in his throat as her tongue flitted into his mouth. He moved his hips against her and palmed her breasts as they kissed.  
  
Ethan's clothes were soon to be discarded and then they were bare against each other, the way he could only have imagined only minutes before.  
  
It wasn't sudden, it wasn't painful, all it was, was desire. A desire that they'd had for each other and would never be fulfilled.  
  
She smiled and hesitantly leaned down closer to him. Her eyes went to his mouth as she dared to go further. He felt a rush shoot through his body as her lips met his in a tender kiss. It was meant as a simple thank you but soon grew into something more.  
  
Ethan was kissing her everywhere. It was amazing. Her body tingled as she hadn't known in years. He kissed her again, capturing her and wanting nothing more than to make her his. Theresa moaned softly as he deepened the kiss. His hands began to move over her back again and stroked along her spine. After a minute, he moved to roll her beneath him. His mouth was so gentle on her flesh and she felt herself get lost to him again. Her head went backwards as he kissed just beneath her jaw and then she lowered it again, as he reclaimed her lips. Gently, he sucked at her lower lip, feeling her hands lower from his shoulders to his chest. Ethan allowed her to lie on top of him as long as he could. Her lithe body was wiggling over him and her tongue teased his mouth before moving down to his nipples and back again. Finally, he could stand no more and she let out a soft squeak as he flipped her over onto her back. She smiled coyly up at him as he hovered over her. His head lowered to her breast again and he suckled her, until she began to beg for him. She closed her eyes and tensed slightly in preparation. She felt him gently brush himself against her.  
  
"Now. I need you, Ethan." He felt her hands clutching at his backside and groaned against her breast. "Oh, God. Please, Ethan. Please. It's been too long. I need you." He moved until he was positioned against her and Theresa felt herself beginning to shake in anticipation.  
  
"More." She was startled at first, until suddenly she realized the word had been half spoken, half moaned by her own lips.  
  
"I love you," Ethan rasped. He moved his hips forward and she cried out as he pressed into her. "I've always loved you. Always…" He picked up speed and then slowed again before he began to move quicker. She hovered at the edge for several minutes until finally, neither could stand it. They exploded against each others body. Their groans and cries were the only sound that could be heard. Finally, he collapsed over her and they curled up in each others' arms. They made love twice more before Theresa finally quieted and fell asleep in his arms. He lay there beside her for the rest of the night and watched her as she slept. He was afraid if he fell asleep that he would wake up to find that it was all a dream. Shortly before sunrise, he gave in. Ethan fell into a blissful sleep with his the woman he watched in his arms.  
  
Ethan couldn't believe it. Theresa was in his arms again…  
  
That morning, Theresa awoke in her bed, alone.  
  
_Where did he go?_  
  
Theresa looked across the pillows on the right and he wasn't there. His arms were gone from around her waist.  
  
_He wouldn't just leave me after last night. I know he wouldn't._  
  
Theresa looked over to her left and then she saw him.  
  
He was asleep, sitting in the chair next to her bed. Fully clothed. He had fallen asleep watching her.  
  
Theresa sat up and pushed the blankets off her.  
  
It was then that she realized it.  
  
She too, was fully clothed…  
  
_Did it happen?_


End file.
